Hey ho! I'm so happppyyyy! I officially said goodbye to this bitchy prof of mine about an hour ago. We had our final presentation and I managed to peep at her grading sheet during the presentation and I saw her messing around with the numbers so that in the end we'll still get the same total points. Basically she's biased towards my group and already had a grade for us in mind irregardless of how we did. But I'm just glad it's over.
Thank you all so much for the reviews. Oh yeah I would like to have Harry as my boyfriend too. But that's impossible because I don't think such a great guy exist (don't let my boyfriend sees this oops)
Anyway, please enjoy this chapter.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Chapter 21: The Formal Meeting
"What the…" Ron said. Harry followed Ron's gaze and saw the heap of Daily Prophets at the doorstep, toppling over when Ron had opened it. Harry, Janieve, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, the twins, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, had taken the Floo Network to The Burrow earlier that morning and it was the first time anyone had opened the front door. Right after Ron had opened his mouth, another barn owl swooped down from overhead and landed another set of newspaper on top of the existing pile.
"Sorry!" shouted Hermione. "It's mine. I couldn't get them to deliver to Grimmauld Place since it's supposed to be a secret address," she said sheepishly.
"Tell me you're not going to read all of this," Ron asked.
"Sorry Ron, I can't. I want to find out what Voldermort's been up to," she answered. Ron winced at the mention of the dark wizard's name.
"You'll need days to go through that!" He said.
"And you guys will help me, won't you?" Hermione looked around at her horrified friends.
"I'll help," Janieve offered finally. Hermione let out a yelp of happiness and gave her a tight hug.
"What about the rest of you?" Hermione asked threateningly.
Harry shrugged. "Well, you've taken my girlfriend. I guess I have to help to get her back sooner."
Ron gave out a disgruntled sigh and went to pick up the pile of Daily Prophets. Ginny, Fred and George had disappeared up the stairs.
Ron had forgiven Janieve as soon as he found out that Harry had. If put nicely, Ron was a loyal friend who respected and supported Harry's decision even if he had not agree with them totally. To be more direct, Ron was just a follower with no mind of his own.
Two hours later, they were still flipping through the newspapers and scanning the headlines for any sign of the Dark Lord.
"You-Know-Who Strikes!" yelled Janieve. "Look!"
Harry, Ron and Hermione crowded around her and looked at the front page of a Daily Prophet dated the day before.
"It was only yesterday," commented Ron.
"Sshh!" hissed Hermione, "You-Know-Who strikes for the first time last night ever since he was found to be back last summer by Harry Potter at the Ministry of Magic. Blah blah blah… There was no concrete proof that the plane explosion flying from America to London was Voldermort's doing but expert had not ruled out this high possibility. Blah blah blah… It was definitely a dark wizard's doing due to the nature of the explosion. Blah blah blah…"
"Seventy-six were killed, of which ten were wizards and witches. Four of them had been identified as prominent figures in the Wizardry world who had graduated from the Auror Academy… Merlin's…" whispered Janieve.
"That figures. You-Know-Who probably killed them because they are a threat to him. I mean, it's five aurors we're talking about!" said Ron resolutely.
"What an underhand mean to do so," said Hermione angrily, "Exploding their plane with no chance of retaliation. And so many innocent muggle lives taken."
"Well, Voldermort is not really known for his muggle-loving nature, is he?" said Janieve derisively. A long silence followed Janieve's remark before Ron broke everyone out of their trance.
"Well, Diagon Alley anyone?" he asked.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"You know, Hermione and I thought maybe it would be better if we check out Flourish and Blotts while you lot drool over the latest broomsticks," Janieve said.
Harry looked between his beautiful girlfriend and the new Nimbus 2005 and decided on the latter. "Alright, Ron and I will look for you later," he said.
"Thanks for making me feel so loved, Harry," Janieve joked as she and Hermione walked away towards the bookshop.
"My pleasure," Harry called after her.
Janieve shook her head, bemused. She had been in a good mood ever since she had patched things up with Harry. The attack by the Killets had seemed like a blessing in disguise to her. After what she had been through with Harry and finally getting back together, she had feel more connected with Harry than she ever had with anyone.
"Viktor is visiting tomorrow," Hermione said suddenly, "do you think a book would be too tacky a gift?" Her brows were furrowed with concentration.
"Well… I think…" Janieve began.
"Mmm hmm…" Hermione gazed up at the rows of books in front of them, her eyes bright like a child who had been given a treat. She ran up the first aisle and began tracing her fingers along the shelves of books.
"O-kay, see you later too Hermione," Janieve muttered to herself. She headed for the Extraordinary Magical Creatures section and began hunting for her treasure.
Heliopath, Hippogriffs, How to Tame a Troll, Inchronics, Keep a Magical Pet, Kunv And Their Special Abilities… No Killet, Janieve thought. She took a step back and scanned the shelves carefully. She tore out a book called 'Mysterious and Treacherous – Thestrals, Killets and Many More'. She scrutinized the book hastily and found the page on Killets.
Killets, the rumoured King of the Cats in the Wizardry world, is thought to be treacherous and mysterious due to their poisonous fangs and enigmatic hideout. They had been around as long as the Giants but are not often talked about because of their mysterious nature…
Janieve slapped the book shut. I have fangs? She wondered. Cool! She held the book tightly to her chest and proceeded to make her purchase. After the shopkeeper had rung up her purchase, she began looking around for Hermione. However, she was not found. Perhaps she had gone to find Harry and Ron without me. Afterall, Viktor would more likely be interested in the newest broomsticks than the newest books, she thought wryly.
She skipped out of the shop, still feeling high from the ease in which she had found the book and the way it had described her – mysterious. She began humming to herself, and there was a light skip in the way she walked. She stopped abruptly when she came face to face with two black creatures with eyes quite identical to hers.
"It's her," said a voice.
Janieve looked around but found nothing but a broken sign which wrote 'Knockturn Alley'.
"Did you just say something," she asked one of the Killets.
"She can speak our tongue," the male one said to the female one. Janieve did not understand why she knew the gender but she just knew. Perhaps it was the Animagus in her.
"Yes, she is one of us now," said the female.
"No, she works for other purposes," the male one disagreed.
"Excuse me, can you not talk about me as if I'm not here," Janieve asked impatiently.
"Then she needs to change sides. You know we don't kill each other," the female continued as if they had not heard her.
"If you're thinking of asking me to be Voldermort's servant, you can forget it," Janieve said irritably.
The two Killets looked at Janieve as if they had just noted her presence. The female one spoke up first, "We are nobody's servant." Her voice was calm but the tone was menacing.
"Right, then Voldermort must have begged you to kill me," Janieve said haughtily. The male Killet looked about to strike her but the female one impeded him.
"We merely provided our service in exchange for our wants," she said.
"And what would that be?" Janieve asked, curious, but determined not to let her curiousity show.
"Janny!"
Janieve spun around to see Harry, Ron and Hermione. She cast a brief glance over her shoulder but the Killets were gone.
"Janny, what are you doing here?" Harry asked, a little harshly.
"Umm… I was just wondering why this part of the street seems so deserted, unlike the rest of Diagon Alley," Janieve half-lied. It was true that she had found this fact peculiar but she had been too occupied by her encounter with the Killets to ponder upon it.
"Well, that's Knockturn Alley, where only the dark wizards frequent," explained Harry, his tone evidently softened.
"That figures," Janieve said as casually as she could muster. She felt bad for lying to Harry and her friends but somehow, meeting up with her kind, the creatures that had attempted to murder her only days before, and telling them about it, had not seemed like the best thing to do. For one, she knew it would worry Harry no end and Harry has had enough to deal with already. She would just have to find a way to come back surreptitiously and finished her unfinished conversation with the Killets. She predicted it would be an easy feat, with her newfound stealth abilities.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
That night, Janieve kept her eyes shut but remained awake. She knew if she had opened her eyes, Harry would be able to tell from the violet glow that she was not asleep. After three hours of waiting, she finally heard Harry's soft melodious snoring. Janieve gingerly lifted the arm Harry had slung over her waist and placed them aside. She got up and left the room quietly.
Janieve and Harry had found the attic a perfect spot for them to sleep in together without letting Mrs. Weasley find out. She crept down flights after flights of the wooden stairs, which was creaking softly beneath her weight.
Finally she reached the landing. She stepped into the freezing late winter night and wished she had more clothing on. She was only wearing her oversized men pyjamas with a thin robe she had managed to snatch before she left Harry's room. There was no time to change.
Janieve walked determinedly ahead. She had important things to attend to and there was no room for her princess attitude. What's a little cold going to do to her? She would get her answers from the Killets and leave as soon as that.
She tapped thrice on the brick that would get her to Diagon Alley. The wall opened up to reveal a stairway. Perhaps it was the cold, walking through the deserted Diagon Alley suddenly scared her. What if she was attacked by a dark wizard in Knockturn Alley? I'll just stay at the junction, I won't go in, she thought decisively.
She halted. It seemed like she did not have to go near Knockturn Alley at all for five pairs of indigo eyes were staring up at her. She smiled. She recognised the two Killets in the lead.
"We knew you would come," said the female Janieve recognised.
"Please forgive my manners. I don't think we have been formally introduced, have we?" Janieve asked.
"I'm Tranquil," she replied and Janieve could immediately relate her to the name. "And they are Magnis, Cray, and Willy. And Speed, you've met him."
"Well, nice to meet you," Janieve said politely, "I'm…"
"Janieve Lestrange, we know," Tranquil said knowingly. Janieve winced slightly at the choice of her last name.
"Okay, I'm here to get some answers," Janieve informed. Tranquil nodded and she went on, "You said you work for your wants. What would that be?"
"I think maybe you should transform yourself into one of us first," Tranquil said, "if someone sees you talking to a Killet… Well, you can probably imagine what will happen."
"But I don't know how…" Janieve let her voice trailed off as she felt her body contract and black furs began sprouting from her body. She felt an odd sensation shooting through her body and she fell on all fours on the ground. In an instant, she looked like one of the pack.
"Good. And now for your question…" said Tranquil, "Do you know what the bane of Killets is?"
Janieve shook her head.
"The bane of Killets is their inability to heal quickly. Once attacked, their wounds get infected because of the reaction formed between our poison and the bacteria present in the atmosphere. Voldermort, however, has made us an offer of the blood of a Giant, which could help us build up on our resistance to attacks."
"You've taken the blood of a Giant?" Janieve asked, appalled.
"No. We failed to kill you and the deal was off," said Speed.
"Why did Voldermort want to kill me?"
"Because you're important to him," Tranquil answered.
"Voldermort?"
"No, Harry Potter." This time, it was Cray who spoke up. Janieve felt her body expand as she raised her hind legs up in the air. Her black furs disappeared and she was back in human form again. She had got her answers. It was time to leave. But she needed to know one more thing before she leave.
"If I can get you Giant's blood, would you come to our side?" she asked.
"Yes. We need to discuss it with the council first. If you hadn't already known, Killets are very united creatures. They do not leave any of their kind out. And that includes you, Janieve," said Tranquil.
"Thank you," Janieve took a bow and sprinted off back to The Burrow.
Author's note: Oh I have a question to ask. Next chapter I have written something very slightly sexual and I just want to know if you readers are of age ahem and also are comfortable with it. If you're not, I'll do some slight editing for you.
